Light and Dark - A Life and Death Story (COMING SOON)
by beyondthedawn
Summary: Luca and Julie have escaped. The enemy walked away with more power than they came with. There are others out there like him, and a revolution is unfolding. The event that destroyed his life has started an uprising centuries in the making. Everyone's fate now lies in his determination. Will Luca be able to change the course of things? Or will anger and distrust overcome his destiny?


Excerpts from _Light and Dark_ \- Coming Summer 2019

**Julie**

... We took off running in the shortest path to the forest. As soon as I was past the first line of trees, I ripped into wolf form, not breaking stride. Quil didn't take much longer.

We darted across the highway on the other side, not bothering to check for cars first. Someone honked at us. Whoops… I guess a tourist was going to have a really wild story to tell at dinner tonight.

There was already a crowd of thoughts to deal with inside my head. We were nowhere near alone. Were we late to the party?

_So self-absorbed all the time, _Lee thought.

Huh, well that was ironic, to say the least. So Lee and Sarah already knew. Good. Guess we could head straight there.

_Don't wanna hear it, Julie, _Lee responded to my stray thought.

_Cut it out, guys, _Sam told us. _Where's Quil and Jara?_

_ Right here with Jules, _Quil answered.

She somehow managed to even remain quiet as a mouse inside her head. That took some skill.

_Oh, sorry. Didn't notice you._

_ Jara was at Kip's,_ Emilia thought. _She may not have heard._

Great. When Jara finally did show up, there was little doubt she'd still be thinking about Kip. That was a mental picture no one wanted if it would be a replay of what we all guessed they were probably just up to.

Sam let out another howl, a little louder this time.

The pack was gathered a few miles east of where we were. Lee, Emilia, and Paula were closing in on them, too.

_Well, we can't wait all day on her. She'll just have to catch up later, _Lee complained.

_What's up, boss? _Paula questioned.

_We need to talk._

I sensed the way Sam's thoughts flickered to me, then Sarah and Colleen and Brandy. Colleen and Brandy, the newest girls, had been running patrol today with Sam, so they were probably already in on whatever it was.

_Sarah, tell Julie what you saw, _Sam encouraged.

I picked up the pace, wanting to get there sooner. I also kind of liked the idea of trying to beat Lee, who I could tell was a little bit closer than me. He hated being outrun.

_Not today, _he taunted, kicking his butt into gear.

I shot forward as hard as I could.

Sam wasn't in a very good mood. _Give it a rest, Jules, Lee. You'll want to pay attention for this._

Neither of us had any intention of giving up a good race.

Sam growled in irritation. _Go ahead, Sarah._

Sarah's next thought had me skidding to a halt.

_Julie, he's back _...

* * *

**Luca**

... I watched her as her body began to change. She slowed down suddenly, stopping to crouch low into the ground, gripping the earth in a not-so-human way. All of that familiar friendliness I knew started to fade.

Yet it was all long something I easily recognized, something I was comfortable with. I'd seen this before, a very long time ago, when I'd been much smaller. It was almost scary then. And now, the phenomenon was something that filled me with pure awe-struck wonder.

In the last second before the phase, I was staring into the face of a vicious hunter. Then, almost instantaneously, the girl I knew vanished before my eyes. In her place was a shape more than five times her size.

It wasn't something you could witness up close and completely comprehend. The russet brown wolf so enormous that I couldn't really make sense of its mass somehow fitting inside Julie.

The wolf's muzzle peeled back over a set of huge teeth. Dark, intense eyes stared back at me. They were eyes that were obviously way too intelligent to belong to a wild animal. That was where I could see her. I could see Julie there in this small remaining trace of who she'd just been.

Though she couldn't speak to me in this form, every bit of the confirmation I needed to know it truly was her in there was clear through those eyes. They were like open doorways through which I could peer into her soul. I gazed back into them for one more second as I nodded forward.

And then, like a flash of lightning, I was alone ...


End file.
